THE MOMENT
“Ready?” the scrawny guard asked through the bars. The inmate, Zoe, nodded and stood from the bed.
“I suppose it’s about time I see other places,” she said. Once Zoe was out of the cell, the guard led her toward the exit. Every inmate they passed shook hands with Zoe and wished her luck. The guard led her out of the general population and into the maze of corridors through the main building.
“How’s it feel?” the guard asked Zoe. The young woman shrugged.
“Kinda lonely. I’ve got friends in here and no idea what’s waiting for me out there,” she stared at the ground as they walked. The guard chuckled.
“Pops would be offended,” he nudged her side with his elbow. “Me too for that matter.”
“Sorry, Monty, you know what I mean. Your family’s been great to me, but your dad and granddad are too old to party properly,” she said with a playful smirk.
“You’re one to talk,” Monty laughed. He shuffled closer to her as they walked and whispered. “How do you work anyway? How do you still look as young as me after 200 plus years?”
"200?" Zoe blinked at Monty. "Only?"
"Only she says...," Monty laughed at Zoe's joke; except, it wasn't. Zoe stopped walking and looked around at the cramped hallway. This part of the prison was built after her sentence began; but, it felt familiar somehow.
"Everything okay, Zee?" Monty asked. She half-nodded and half shook her head. She closed her eyes to concentrate on a faint memory that almost wasn't there anymore. When she opened her eyes, Zoe leaned against the wall and lifted her left foot to inspect it.
"How long has that been there?" She asked Monty about the tattoo on her ankle. It was a sun with the number 46 on it.
"Pretty sure you came in with it,..," Monty said. But, Zoe shook her head.
"Hold on," she said. Zoe wiggled her fingers at the air next to her and a tall black portal opened. Monty's eyes widened and he stepped back in surprise but Zoe took a deep breath and stepped into the portal. It closed behind her.
"Zoe!!?" Monty yelled as he searched the empty corridor. As his head swiveled left and right, he caught sight of another black portal. Zoe stepped out of it and looked at him.
"Where'd you go?" Monty asked. "What happened?"
"To another Earth...," Zoe answered. She met Monty's eyes and shrugged. "I don't know what happened... but something's different," she said. Monty tilted his head at her.
"Something? That's kind of vague..l. what's different?" he asked. Zoe shrugged.
"The universe, I think."